Ossian Collection > Ossian, his principal poems

INTRODUCTION. xlvil
all the inhabitants of Caledonia, by the invasion of
the Romans, and the victories of Agricola. The facts
mentioned bj the Roman writers ' relate to all the Caledon-
ians, without distinction. HoAvever fondly ascribed to the
Scots alone, the fragments of ancient Gaelic poetry, whether
collected, or still floating about, among the Gaelic peasantry,
belong most certainly in common to all the ancient inhabi-
tants of the north of Scotland ; and the pictures of social
life Avhich they exhibit, represent it such as it then existed
through all Caledonia. Those few remains of ancient arts
which we dare venture to refer to this remote period of our
history, are scattered equally through all the northern division
of north Britain. However different in their origin, yet all
the people who had entered this country, before the Romans,
and all who had entered it, during the period of the Roman
authority in the island, appear to have been too little elevated
above the rudeness of savage nature, and too undistinguish-
ably intermingled together, to have anything in their
knowledge, labours, or enjoyments that was not common to
them all. — Introduction to Heron's History of Scotland.